rainbows don't lead to happy endings
by chasingafterstarlight
Summary: The rainbow returns for Lily, and this time, things don't go the way she's planned- especially when she meets a rude, arrogant boy. Will she get her happy ending? LilyEustace


**rainbows don't make for happy endings**

_Lily/Eustace_

**AU- Eustace is 15 when he first goes to Narnia, Peter & Susan are in the Dawn Treader**

**Prompts: rainbow, crystal, memories, heal, scorched, football, death, "Just jump off the darn cliff already!"**

She's sitting on her bed, flower tucked into her flaming red curls, trying to pretend that she's not hurting.

Really, she thinks that she's not. Because he's just a silly, _silly_ boy, and she's _Lily Luna Potter, _beauty and ruler of the Hogwarts universe.

_(Isn't she_?)

But the memories still reign crystal clear in her mind, and her eyes search the window, her heart hoping for a flash of brilliant colour.

_Where are you, Eustace?_

_Flashback_

Once again, as it had last time with Molly, something flashed bright outside of the window. Peering curiously out the window, her eyes fell upon a rainbow. She scrambled to her feet quickly, and then remembered that Molly was on holiday at the time, so she couldn't go with her. Not wanting to go alone, Lily rushed to the Ravenclaw common room.

"LUCY!" She yelled, rushing in. Her brunette cousin sat on the couch, book in hand, as usual. But as she put it down, Lily was sure she saw _The Chronicles of Narnia_ on the cover.

…_Narnia_? Surprised, Lily gasped quietly. But then, unperturbed, she turned to Lucy, reminded of her mission. "Lucy, come on, we've got to go see that rainbow."

"What are you talking about?" A confused Lucy asked, staring at her like she was the one who was insane. Which isn't really true.

"Just come with me, Lucy?" Lily pleaded, pouting hugely. "Come on, it's lots of fun. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, though."

"All right," Lucy decided, shutting her book. "I'll come, but just to see what you're talking about."

So they adventured through the once again pouring snow to the rainbow, footsteps creating prints in the snow as they walked. Before they knew it, they reached the rainbow.

"Great, so we've seen this rainbow thing now," Lucy says, crossing her arms. "Can we go back now?"

"We're not here just to see it," Lily informed her, beaming from ear to ear. Grabbing her cousin's arm, she yelled, "And away we go!", pulling her into the rainbow of colour.

Lucy let out a shriek, but it was too late. The two of them were already spiraling away, into the magical land of Narnia that Lily had so dearly missed. They ended up on the wooden floor of what seemed to be a boat of some sort. Quickly, Lily stood up, wondering if somehow the rainbow had been a decoy and not an actual portal. That was, until Edmund came rushing at her, followed by the rest of the Pevensies.

"Lily!" He exclaimed, his face filled with joy. "What are you doing here? I thought… _we _thought that you'd never come back!" He pulled her into a hug, and she wrapped her arms around him, hoping to never let go.

"That your boyfriend, Lily?" Lucy teased from behind her, arms crossed across her chest.

Then Lucy's eyes met Edmund's, and _Merlin_, she was starting to wish she'd never brought Lucy here. Because Edmund had that _look_ on his face, the one that she'd thought he only reserved for her. Guess she was wrong, once again.

Trying not to concentrate on him, she went over to Peter, giving him a hug. Mischievous twinkle in her eye, she whispered, "Sorry, Molly couldn't come this time."

Peter just blushed. "Tell her I would've loved for her to come."

"Tell her you love her?" Lily teased, grinning from ear to ear again. "All right, can do."

Peter just rolled his eyes. Behind Peter, Susan came up, pulling her into a hug. Lucy followed close behind. Behind her, Lucy _Weasley_ hung out, just blushing about seeing Edmund or whatever.

"This is my cousin, _Lucy Weasley_," Lily introduced Lucy, stepping back as to not take her spotlight.

"Another Lucy?" Lucy Pevensie grinned, skipping forward. "I'm Lucy Pevensie- and we look quite a bit alike."

"My long lost twin," Lucy Weasley joked.

"I'm Peter," Peter interrupted. "And that's Edmund-" Edmund promptly turned scarlet, turning Lily's tempter on high, "And Susan. Good to have you here, then."

"Speaking of introductions," Susan interrupted, trying to look happy at the same time. "We have, um, a guest to introduce to you, Lily. This is Eustace."

A boy of about her own age, who was not too bad looking, stepped out from behind the Pevensies. He just glared at the two of them. "Eustace, Eustace Scrubb. _Magnificent _to see that we have more of their type here."

"Their type?"Lily raised an eyebrow, temper flaring up all the more. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Insane," He said, shaking his head at her. "I can tell. _Terrific _to meet you."

_End Flashback_

That's how they first met, well, the way Lily remembers it. He'd been an arrogant little git, something that Lily doesn't appreciate at all. So how did she end up falling for him?

She's tried and tried to realise that she's never going to see him again, but she _can't _think like that. She might as well just die- _death_ is more blissful than this constant turmoil. But then again, she's never been weak like that.

Blinking, she brings the memory of the first time they really talked to the front of her mind.

_Flashback_

When she saw him, he was dribbling a football around on the island they'd decided to temporarily stay on. She came up to him, wearing some sort of smirk. "You play Muggle football?"

"Excuse me, are you talking to me?" He replied arrogantly. "What is a _Muggle_?"

"Sorry," Lily blushed. "I meant, you play football?"

"Better," Eustace allotted, and Lily thought that if he went to Hogwarts he might've been in Slytherin. "What, do you actually play? You don't look very fit to me."

"You would actually say that to a girl?" Lily gasped. "Has no one taught you manners? You're supposed to be kind to girls."

"My parents are revolutionaries," Eustace declared as if this made him better than her.

She just blinked before barreling on. "Like _you_ play football."

"I do," He protested. "Try me."

Rolling her eyes, she stuck out her foot and immediately stole the ball from him, dribbling over to a palm tree before laughing. "That'll show you, _Scrubb_. Being beaten at your own game by a girl. I'm so sure that you play football, now."

Grunting, he ran over to her. "Stop it, Potter! I can so play football." He attempted to steal it from her, but she held it firmly under her foot.

"I'm sure you do," She said with a smirk. "Have you ever learnt football?"

"Not really," He admitted finally. "But that doesn't mean I can't play! I was trying to teach myself, leave me to it, Lily."

"Calling me Lily now, are you?" She crossed her arms firmly across her chest. "I've moved up a level in your book now that I can play football like some common Muggle?"

"It does make you a bit more normal," Eustace admitted, trying not to meet her eyes.

"A bit more normal?" She shrieked, her fiery spirit coming out once again. "Like I care what you think of me, Eustace _Scrubb_! You annoy me to no end! Why do you have to be so pessimistic all of the time?"

"My parents… and my schoolmates told me to," He said, not meeting her eyes.

"So you're not brave enough to be yourself then?" Lily said, frowning at him in some condescending manner, because bravery was one of the most important qualities to her as a Gryffindor. "That's not good. You should stick up for yourself, figure out who you are, then be that person."

"Too much work," Eustace yawned, stretching himself out.

"Too _much_ work?" Lily still seemed confused at this boy who was telling her she was _wrong_. That can't be true, she told herself. Frowning at him, she crossed her freckled arms. "All right. Tomorrow, if we're not gone from this island, meet me here. I'm going to show you bravery."

"Are you?" Eustace chuckled. "All right, I'll come, if only to laugh at your definition of bravery."

"Got it," Lily grinned, confident that she would convince him to be brave. "We'll see about that tomorrow."

_End Flashback_

She sighs, remembering that as the first time that they'd ever really talked. Of course, everything goes downhill from there, at least in her opinion.

She had gotten in _far_ too deep with a person that probably wasn't _(isn't) _right for her. But she'd let herself fall, and now she's feeling the consequences. It's like she's been scorched by his fire.

Now, she just relaxes, remembering the first time she'd ever really let herself fall.

_Flashback_

"Good morning, Eustace," She called cheerfully, determined not to let his pessimistic attitude ruin this day. She'd just have to make up for his pessimism with- well, optimism.

"It's almost raining outside," Eustace griped, staring up at the sky. "Look, see the grey clouds?"

"Those are a sign of a good day!" She chirped. Grabbing his arm, she said, "You and I, we're not going to care about the weather today. We're going to go take a few risks. Come on, just loosen up for once."

His face seemed to fall a little bit. "You think I am not _loose enough_, Potter?"

"I'm sure," She confirmed, her face bright and cheery regardless of his expression. "Now let's go, there's no time to waste. Your cousins will be wondering where we went."

"I do not _care_ about my cousins, in case you have not noticed," Eustace scowled, but he followed her nonetheless. Most of the walk was spent in some sort of uncomfortable silence that Lily hated, but was a bit nervous to break. They just walked, and walked, and walked, until Eustace grew impatient. Which didn't take long at all.

"Are we there yet?" He demanded, blue eyes bearing into her.

"Nearly," Lily said with a sigh. "Trust me, this will all be worth it. Besides, you're getting your exercise, and that's always good."

"Are you implying that I do not exercise, Potter?" Eustace raised one eyebrow.

Lily just shrugged. "I'm not implying anything."

Finally, they arrived there, and Lily grinned at the sight of the familiar waterfall that she'd come across yesterday in her exploration of the island. Eustace just raised an eyebrow. "You brought me to a waterfall?"

"Yes," Lily said primly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "We're going to jump off of that cliff up there into the water. It's perfectly safe; I checked it before we came. But if you're too _chicken,_ Scrubb…"

"I am not too chicken," Eustace protested, still nervously. He followed her up to the top of the waterfall.

Peering down, Lily grinned at the rushing water. For whatever reason, there were no rocks at the bottom, just clear water with a sandy bottom. Still, she noticed that Eustace looked terrified. Grinning at him, she said, "Scared, Scrubb?"

"No," He protested, trying to be as manly as possible.

"All right then," She said, smile showing her confidence. "You go first."

"What?" He spun around, staring at her. "Can't you? You seemed so excited about it."

In faux innocence, she said, "Oh, I thought you said you weren't scared. If you're not, you should be happy to go first, right?"

"I suppose," He declared reluctantly, trying not to let anything waver, she could tell. Slowly, she watched as he stepped to the edge of the cliff. "Should I go now?"

"Obviously," She said, trying not to laugh.

"Um, okay," He said, still staring down at the water.

Frustrated, Lily yelled, "JUST JUMP OFF THE DARN CLIFF ALREADY!" She then jumped forward and pushed him. Once she heard him hit the water, she followed him in.

For some reason, she noticed that he was flailing around. Concerned even though she didn't care much for him, she swam over to him. "What's wrong, Eustace?"

"I… can't swim," Eustace choked, going under once again. Swimming over to him, Lily grabbed his _large_ body and hauled it on to shore with all of her little girl power. Once they got there, she pounded on his back until he spit out all of the water.

Staring at him, Lily hissed, "You didn't tell me you couldn't swim."

"You didn't ask," Eustace shuddered. "I suppose I owe you something for you saving my life, even if you did push me in. So thanks, and what do you want, Potter?"

"You can start by calling me Lily," Lily announced, flipping her red hair over her shoulder.

He shot her a smile, one that was more charming than any she'd seen on him so far. "Well, you were right, _Lily_. Even though I almost drowned, it was kind of fun."

She just laughed. With a flip of her wet hair, she informed him, "Lily Potter is _always_ right, Eustace."

_End Flashback_

That 'fun' time- and that _charming smile_- was the first time she'd ever considered having any sort of romantic feelings for the boy. Even in her memories, she knows that he's not exactly the most charming boy. But being the dreamer Lily Luna, she tends to forget about things like that.

Sighing, she remembers the first time she realised that he felt the same.

_Flashback_

"What are you doing, Potter?" Eustace asked in surprise when she first asked him to hang out.

"We had fun last time, did we not?" Lily reminded him, twirling a piece of her red hair around her finger. "You don't want to have more crazy adventures? And yes, you're supposed to call me _Lily_, remember?"

She didn't mention that she'd just discovered Lucy and Edmund, nearly snogging, looking so blissful that she couldn't take it anymore and just fled. In the end, she'd run into him- and who better to distract her from Edmund than his least favourite cousin?

"I suppose," He admitted thoughtfully, something very uncharacteristic of him. "_Lily_. But what are we going to do?"

"We're going to have fun," She declared, grinning like it was the wittiest thing ever. "Have you just laid out in the sun and watched the stars go by?"

"No," He said, shocked. "That's _unprofessional_, Lily."

"Well, that's what we're going to do now," She decided, laying out on the green grass. Staring up at the sky, she declares, "That one looks like a crystal."

"A crystal?" He repeated incredulously; staring at her, then up at the sky. "I suppose you could say that, if you were insane."

"I suppose you could say I am, though my cousin Dominique's even worse than I am," Lily joked. "Oh, look, and there's an owl."

"An owl? Are you mad? That's a cat," Eustace argued, finally getting into the spirit of cloud watching.

Lily shook her head violently. "_No_, Eustace, that's so obviously an owl."

"It's a cat," He protested. "Can't you see the little swirl of a tail at the end? News for you: owls don't have tails like those."

"Owl."

"Cat."

"Owl."

"Cat."

"Owl- oomph-" She was cut off as his lips crashed down onto hers. It was the weirdest sensation ever- kissing someone that you'd thought you didn't like but you now realise that you just might have feelings for. Pulling away, she shrieked, "What was that?"

"I don't know," He said, just as frightened, throwing his hands up.

"Don't be such a coward, Eustace, I didn't say I didn't like it," Lucy informed him. Leaning in again, she began to kiss him.

_end flashback_

That was the beginning of their relationship as she remembers it. But it all ended when the rainbow returned, and she and Lucy had to head back. She hadn't seen him since then.

But it's as if he's still with her- as if he was a _fire_ that left a permanent scorched mark on her arm.

She doesn't want it there anymore. She doesn't want the memories of someone who should have been dead by the time she was born. It's all things that she doesn't want.

It's time for her to heal those scars.

As she now knows, rainbows don't always lead to happy endings.

**A/N: FINITO.**

**This was for the Story-Off at the Dreamerverse forum- sorry it was late, guys! And Drishti, sorry for the general terrible-ness of it. :D**

**/sure Rose will win XD**

**READ AND REVIEW. **


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